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Today there are only two options for travel to or from the Faroe Islands as an ordinary passenger: One way is to fly with Scandinavian Airlines or with the Faroese national airline Atlantic Airways, and the other way is to sail with the ferry Norröna from the Faroese ferry company Smyril Line, whose home port is Tórshavn on the Faroe Islands. The trip from Denmark to the Faroe Islands directly takes approximately 36 hours and from Tórshavn on the Faroe Islands to Seyðisfjörður on Iceland takes approximately 18 hours. Meanwhile, Norröna is the only way to take your own car with you to the Faroe Islands and Iceland from Denmark or from the Faroe Islands and Iceland and reverse.

The old Norröna was built in 1973 at Nobiskrug in Rendsburg in Germany as Gustav Wasa. From 1984 she was called the Norröna and sailed for the owner Smyril Line between Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway, and in some years Shetland also. The successor is the new Norröna (from 2003). But the old ship is still sailing under the flag of the Faroe Islands, as a missionary ship under the name Logos Hope.[1]

The new Norröna is a modern cruiseferry. It was built in Lübeck, Germany, and had its maiden voyage in April 2003. Norröna has a total LOA (length over all) of 165 metres (541 ft), and a width of 30 metres (98 ft); 34.23 m (112.3 ft) with lifeboats. She has a total of 318 passenger cabins and 72 crew cabins, which accommodates the space of approximately 1,482 passengers and 118 crew members. She has a total of 1,830 metres (6,000 ft) of trailer lane, with space for 800 cars or 130 cargo trailers.[2] Her cruising speed is approximately 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph).

For passengers the ship is equipped with restaurants, a swimming pool, a small cinema and a fitness centre.[3] Room types include cabins for two, cabins for families, connecting cabins, single berths in a four-person cabin and a dorm-style space with shared bathroom.[4]

The ferry observes ocean currents and water properties in the North Sea, the Faroe-Shetland Channel and the Iceland-Faroe Ridge for the American Geophysical Union.[5]

The ferry also sails in the winter months, but there are few tourists on these trips and therefore only a crew of 20-25 is needed. In the winter months the ferry also changes from being a luxury ship to be more a container ship.

The ferry has visited Newcastle upon Tyne, England, as a Christmas shopping special, allowing visitors a day in the city.[6]

When the weather is bad on the Faroe Islands, the ship may dock at the alternative ports of Klaksvík or Runavík instead of Tórshavn. In November 2007 the Norröna lost power in heavy seas near the Shetland Islands; the ferry began to roll and eighty cars were damaged on the car deck. The ship was forced to stop at Lerwick for emergency repairs to the heavily damaged stabilisers.[7]

In January 2004 there was an accident with the new Norröna in Tórshavn, when the ferry hit the wharf and suffered slight damage.[8][9]
On the 8th April 1990 the old MS Norrona suffered a small deliberate fire in the passenger accommodation resulting in several casualties, The ferry was on loan to B&I ferries (now Irish Ferries)running between Pembroke Dock & Rosslare. Casualties were evacutate by RAF Rescue Helicopters to Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest.

She was featured in detail in the documentary television programme Mighty Ships, on the Discovery channel in some countries and on other networks in others. The episode first aired in early December 2017 in Canada.[12] The series is said to be available in over 150 countries.[13]